Dear Polar Bears

The premise of the picture book Dear Polar Bears is an invitational letter written to the Polar Bears in the North Pole from the Penguins in the South Pole. The story is cute, comical, and relatable to anyone who has traveled a long distance to visit someone.

Prendergast succinctly tells a conventional story through the letter. As the polar bears travel southward, they face obstacles along the way, but they do reach their destination. Prendergast subtly includes facts about the winter solstice, and readers can discover more information at the end of the book. However, Prendergast “overlooks” the fact that polar bears are powerful carnivores while penguins are potential prey. Realistically, the polar bears would devour these flightless birds. Cutler cleverly creates a glimpse of this gruesome possibility when one polar bear arrives at the South Pole with its tongue hanging out and an aggressive look on its face. Humorously, one penguin looks directly at the reader with a moment of fear in its eyes; however, all ends well with a party.

Marcus Cutler’s clear, detailed illustrations add depth to each page and help with the flow of the story. The cover intentionally conveys that the letter to the polar bears is from the penguins. Additionally, Cutler creatively depicts famous landmarks that the polar bears encounter on their southward travels. Cutler’s artwork entices all ages to read this book and, along with Prendergast’s fun facts, results in Dear Polar Bears’ being an enjoyable book that can be read over and over.